The Economist
Companies Don’t Have to Go Public, So Why Do They?
By going public, Facebook joined a diverse group of companies. Some, like Apple and Amazon, have had huge success selling pieces of their company to the public. Others, like Enron and Tyco, couldn’t take the public scrutiny and failed as a result. Since taking a company public requires jumping through a lot of hoops, fewer […]
Measuring Wealth, One Big Mac at a Time
How do you compare the wealth of nations? An economics professor at Princeton University thinks such a big question has a bite-sized answer: buy a Big Mac. Orley Ashenfelter is the author of the Big Mac Index, which measures a country’s wealth based on a McDonalds worker’s average wage and the cost of a Big […]
European Elections Highlight Discontent
France wasn’t the only European country to hold elections yesterday, but the feeling across the continent was certainly one of change. From local elections in Italy to a tight presidential race in Serbia, competitions outside of France told equally interesting stories about changing attitudes toward life in the Euro-zone. Andrew Walker is a correspondent for […]
Climate Change Treaties Warming Up
Steve Curwood has a frank conversation with Harvard University Professor Rob Stavins about what positions President Clinton’s advisors are likely recommending he take on the eve of upcoming global treaties. Prof. Stavins has consulted with both the Bush and Clinton administrations, and is an economist who heads the program in Environment and Natural Resources at […]